Royal and Ruthless: Innocent Mistress, Royal Wife / Prince of Scandal / Weight of the Crown. Robyn Donald

her. Somehow their lovemaking the previous night had made her even more sensitive, as though she’d been trained to react infinitely more strongly to his powerful presence.

      If she were cautious or even sensible, she’d leave the castle and find a room in another hotel. She’d run fast and far—as far as New Zealand—from this reckless delight.

      But she wasn’t going to. Whatever happened she would always be glad that she’d met Rafiq, that her initiation to sex had been so wonderful, that here on this magical island east of Zanzibar she’d found something rare and precious, something she wasn’t going to let fear forbid her.

      ‘Perhaps,’ she said solemnly, those swift kisses still tingling through her bloodstream. ‘But how do you know I’ll have the same self-control?’

      ‘I rather hope you don’t.’ The deep voice was amused and tender. ‘But not today; I have a council meeting that will take all day. So relax.’

      * * *

      He didn’t come home until after she’d gone to bed, but he’d rung twice, and at the sound of his voice she’d melted. Rafiq. Always and for ever Rafiq, she thought later, lying in bed alone and watching the stars drift slowly across the velvet sky as she remembered the previous night. Eventually she slid into sleep, and into turbulent dreams.

      Several hours later Rafiq asked abruptly, ‘Where is M’selle Sinclair?’

      ‘She went up to her room shortly after she had dinner, sir.’

      ‘Thank you.’ He strode up the staircase, slowing a little when the passage forked to go to Lexie’s room.

      Damn, he wanted her! After that moment’s hesitation, he went on past. In his own room he swore beneath his breath when he saw the red light blinking on the communication device that connected him to the head of security.

      ‘Yes?’ he barked into it.

      ‘Sorry, sir, but there’s just been an attempted robbery in the strongroom at the citadel. It looks like an inside job on the fire-diamond vaults.’

      Rafiq’s head came up. Harshly he ordered, ‘Go on.’

      He listened keenly as she concisely laid out the evening’s events. ‘A man armed with the correct passwords infiltrated the citadel and got as far as the vaults before the alarms finally picked up his presence.’